“So I shouldn’t believe all this Arizona Cardinals love Patrick Mahomes stories that are out there right now?” Schefter asked McDonough.

“We tell the truth in the fall,” McDonough cracked. “So anything you hear in the spring, don’t believe from anybody. There is more smokescreens going on by people that are trying to throw everybody else off. One thing I know we’ve done, our owner and (general manager Steve Keim), every single quarterback in the draft the top-six or -seven guys considered in the top three rounds, we’ve worked out every one of them and we’ve had every one of them in for a visit.

“We’ll leave no stone unturned to find a guy for the future. And if it doesn’t work out, there will be a bunch of good quarterbacks coming up next year.”

Of course, that can also mean the Cardinals have put in time to cover up which quarterback they favor over the other.

McDonough said that the crop of top quarterbacks this year is unique, and that will make for an unpredictable first few rounds of the draft.

“In a typical draft, everybody knows, OK, this guy’s the best, this guy’s the second best, and then there will a bunch of difference in opinions,” McDonough said. “In this draft, there are five guys, and if you ask five different guys like me, they might tell you he’s the best quarterback. The intrigue with the quarterback position, where they go, who goes, I think will be fascinating on draft day.”

GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY

McDonough and Vikings front office member George Paton were reported as the two finalists to land the top football operations gig in San Francisco, but former safety John Lynch remained in the dark until the team was about to announce his hire.

McDonough said the experience was a long one but offered perspective — he appreciated all the support from his peers that made him one of three finalists for the job.

“I love working for the Cardinals. But every guy that starts out as a scout, the top of the chain is a general manager,” he said. “You get a chance to build your dream team. The reality of it was, I had an opportunity.

“They said it was a very tough decision between the three of us. I was just very grateful that I had an opportunity to sit down in front of an ownership group because I had just tremendous support.”